Saturday, January 29, 2011
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Seville Day and Night
Have a taste of Seville in this video. While we didn't really explore the nightlife we got glimpses around dinner as we searched for places to eat. People were out and about having fun. Of course, during the day we saw plenty of great stuff from stunning architecture to all manner of shops great and small and much more.
** Ken **
Sent from my iPhoneSeville, Spain
A much larger city than Granada with a wholly different feel. The Cathedral is not to be missed for its impressive size. The Alcazar feels more opulent than the Alhambra though that is likely an illusion because it is more compact and meant to be a royal palace rather than a fortress. The El Salvadore church though smaller than the cathedral is ornate. Many other things are different here than Granada. The narrow streets, barely one car wide, sport sidewalks that are just wide enough to stand. Squeeze into a doorway as a vehicle goes by or you might get clipped by a side mirror. We are hearing and seeing more birds here but far fewer dogs and cats. Photos:
My Father is standing in the Patio of Oranges outside the cathedral. It is sad to see all that fruit and understand it is sour and not fit to be eaten (sprayed to keep birds away). The Cathedral's Giralda tower rising 97 meters as seen from the entrance just outside Alcazar One of the pools in the Alcazar. Water features play a big role in the architecture of Muslim-inspired design. Too bad many fountains were not active. The Mercury pool with several pairs of ducks. We also saw a couple wonderfully blue and green peacocks.
My Father is standing in the Patio of Oranges outside the cathedral. It is sad to see all that fruit and understand it is sour and not fit to be eaten (sprayed to keep birds away). The Cathedral's Giralda tower rising 97 meters as seen from the entrance just outside Alcazar One of the pools in the Alcazar. Water features play a big role in the architecture of Muslim-inspired design. Too bad many fountains were not active. The Mercury pool with several pairs of ducks. We also saw a couple wonderfully blue and green peacocks.
** Ken **
Sent from my iPhoneMonday, January 17, 2011
The Alhambra
We spent several hours yesterday walking the grounds of the Alhambra, the palace of the Nasrid Kings. Two things that really stand out for us are the gardens, especially around the Generalife; and the intricate marble and stone work. Walls are rife with designs etched into the stone. The walks are inlaid with mosaics. The gardens of shaped hedges, trees, and no doubt flowers are exquisite. Everywhere water is flowing in streams and fountains.
** Ken **
Sent from my iPhoneWednesday, January 12, 2011
Tenerife Day 4
Today is our free day and we could not ask for better weather. Perhaps inland and up high it is cloudy and damp again (like yesterday was with mists shrouding our hike around Mount Negras and her lava fields) but down on the coast at Puerto de la Cruz it is clear, sunny, and warm. We have spent the day strolling through the bustling streets of Puerto de la Cruz. This is a substantial town and it seems prosperous. The streets are clean, there are numerous shops of all types, and overall things seem very well put together. Leaving our hotel we walked once again through Taoro park (not the official name but the name I am using) and down the 186 steps past the falling water feature (see the photo with Mom and Dad) and from there down into the heart of the town. The highlight of the town has to be the sea wall that restrains the frothing surf of the aquamarine Atlantic ocean. Today as we walked along the seawall we saw a couple people swimming in the clear, probably chilly, water. We also saw some people practicing with their paragliders in a parking lot. I suppose they were learning how to control them in a somewhat controlled environment (i.e., on the ground). When we left the seaside for the streets we found them full of shops of al types, cafes and other eateries, and plenty of people that seemed, overall, well off. It is clearly a thriving town. The photo with the small town in the distance was taken yesterday on our way to what would turn out to be our mist shrouded walk through forest and lava fields. The town is Garachico which was destroyed back in 1706 by volcanic eruption. Today the town is much smaller but it certainly looks cute enough seem from on high (about 500 meters).
** Ken **
Sent from my iPhone